Bernie Sanders (D) in Lawrence, Kansas – March 3, 2016

Earlier in the week we received a media notice from the Bernie Sanders campaign that he would be in Lawrence, Kansas speaking at a campaign event on Thursday evening. The Kansas caucus is on Saturday.

The venue was a county 4H arena/building – with a dirt floor and the capacity to hold 2000 people. A reported 4000 or so showed up. When Bernie Sanders started speaking the venue was two thirds full. People kept coming in as he spoke. At two different points individuals in the crowd fainted (it was hot) and were helped by paramedics. By the time the event was over the building was filled to capacity.

At the back of the venue.

Excerpts:

Senator Bernie Sanders (D): ….Two thousand and two, the most important foreign policy decision of modern American history was made. President Bush, Vice President Cheney, the entire administration [voices: “Boo.”], they said that we should go to war in Iraq. [voices: “Boo.”] I listened very carefully to what they had to say and I ended up believing that they were not telling the truth. I voted against the war. [cheers]….

[….]

….If we are to go forward as a nation we need to deal with reality no matter how unpleasant that reality may be. [cheers, applause] And here is some truths, though they be unpleasant. Truth number one. You are living in the country today that has a corrupt campaign finance system. [cheers, applause] The corrupt campaign finance system that is undermining American democracy. [cheers, applause] I wish I could tell you that in a way that doe not sound so harsh or ugly, but then I would not be telling you the truth. Here is the truth today. A hand full of billionaires, the Koch brothers and a few others [voices: “Boo.”], you have heard of the Koch brothers. [voice: “They’re not real Kansans.”] [cheers] Koch brothers, second wealthiest family in America, and a few of their billionaire friends will spend an estimated nine hundred million dollars in this campaign trying to elect candidates who represent the wealthy and powerful….

[….]

….I know that there are politicians in Kansas and around the country who delight in picking on the poorest of the poor. Who think that they can win votes by telling the middle class that they are subsidizing poor children and low income people….Let’s talk about welfare abuse. Let us talk about the major welfare abuser in the United States of America which happens to be the wealthiest family in this country, the Walton family….[cheers]….

[….]

….Why is it, do you think, that not one Republican for president is in agreement with the scientific community? And the answer is….it ties into a corrupt campaign finance system….I say to my republican colleagues and Republican candidates for president, worry more about your children and grandchildren and the planet they will inherit [cheers, applause] . Worry more about future generations on this planet than your campaign contributions and the profits of the oil industry and the coal industry today….

[….]

….I have found it very interesting that [Donald] Trump and others try to delegitimize the President, claiming that he was born outside of the United States. My father came to this country from Poland. I am the son of an immigrant. Nobody has questioned and asked me for my passport. Maybe it has something to do with the color of my skin [cheers, applause]….